A Crystal in the Games
by xx-InvaderSamm-xx
Summary: Lucy requests time off from Team Natsu, which leads to a secret that Laxus found out about. Still upset about last years' Grand Magic Games, she's determined to make up for it this time. But, romance sparks. Who will it be? Gray, who's been hiding in her heart; Laxus, who's helped her countless times; or this new face? Reviews will choose
1. Chapter 1

***A/N; **Yeah, another Fairy Tail story. xD I dunno who to pair Lucy with, though. At first it was Laxus, but Gray in this story obviously has feels for her.. So, we'll see once the story progresses more.

**Laxus; Come on, Samm. Just get to it already.**

**Gray; Yeah, and what's with Lucy?**

**Samm; -snicker- You'll see.**

**Laxus; -snickers-**

**Gray "OH COME ON."**

**Samm; " Disclaimer?"**

**Gray; "Fine. Samm doesn't own Fairy Tail, no matter how much she wants to. -smirk-"**

**Samm; "HEY."**

* * *

Lucy walked through the foresty outskirts of Magnolia, searching for the path back to the city. This was her twenty-sixth solo mission, and it took much longer than what she estimated. She had been gone for two weeks, and she was fighting for at least ten of those days. The mission was borderline S-class, and she just barely managed to convince the master to let her go alone.

The secret she was hiding from the guild is what caused her to go on solo missions. After the cruel embarrassment and shame that she brought in the Grand Magic Games, Lucy desperately looked for a back up alternative. Not only did she teach herself hand-to-hand combat, but she also picked up a new form of magic. This mission brought her rent for the next four months and assured her that her training of this magic was complete.

Lucy's face brightened as she saw the path her and Team Natsu had walked along so many times. Sometimes it was to head for a mission, and other times it was to simply hang out. A warm smile came to the bland mage's lips as she had a warming flashback.

_**Flash Back-**_

"Lucy, what are you talking about?!" Natsu practically screamed at her.

"Just what I said. I'd like to go on solo missions for a while.." Lucy stated back. Her tone of voice was much more calm and collected than the dragon slayer who was currently yelling at her. She sighed and released the blanket of her bed from her unknowing death grip.

"But we're a team! Team Natsu!" Natsu screamed, leaning over her as she kept her calm face. She was sitting on her bed in her apartment with Erza sitting next to her, giving her a worried death glare. Gray was leaning against the doorframe, and Happy was probably in her kitchen, scouting out food.

"We are a team, Lucy. You could probably convince her otherwise if you didn't scream, ash-for-brains." Gray said snidely.

"Shut your face, Ice Princess!" Natsu yelled back. It seemed like his voice wouldn't go lower than a yell today.

"What would happen if you took on a solo mission that you weren't fully ready for?" Erza spoke up, worry evident in her voice.

"I've talked to a few people about this. Master's going to overlook all the missions, and if he feels I'm not up to it, he won't send me." Lucy said with a nonchalant shrug. Gray raised an eyebrow at her, and it seemed that he was the only one who caught that there was a hidden meaning behind all this.

"But-" Natsu started, but was cut off by Lucy's hand. She held her palm up to him, and he instantly obeyed her silent command.

"I also promised that if things got too rough, I contact immediately or come home right then." Lucy said calmly, and only then did Gray actually move in closer. He was catching on, and she didn't like it.

"Did he teach you the way to speak to Laxus?" Erza questioned.

Lucy nodded. "Laxus is to stay when I'm out, just in case something is to go wrong."

"I still don't like this." Natsu said, finally talking at a normal volume. Erza nodded, but saw a flash over Lucy's eyes. Erza, not being a good reader, thought it meant that she needed time alone.

"Let's go. I'm sure you've had enough interrogation for one day." Erza said, offering Lucy a smile. The blond returned her smile and watched Natsu and Erza leave. Gray whispered something to Erza on her way out, and somehow managed to stay without an argument.

"So, you gonna spill?" Gray said with a sly smirk.

"Spill what?" Lucy said, raising an eyebrow. He just gave her a knowing look, which made her sigh. "Don't tell.." He nodded, holding up his pinky. It was something that was kept between Gray and Lucy alone, since it was "girly" and he would be mortified if word got out that he did stuff like that.

She smiled softly, wrapping her pinky around his for a moment before bringing her hand back down to her side. "I-... I can't get over this feeling.. This shame, this embarrassment is bearing down on my conscious.. I want to learn to fight on my own, and I don't need the extra humiliation of asking someone to train me." She finally fessed up, and the words made the ice-mage pull her to an embrace.

"Don't stress. You're really strong, and you need to believe that.. But I won't stop you."

_**End-**_

Lucy smiled warmly. Gray was always there for her. Every time she came back from a mission, he was there asking how things went. The two, even though not on a team currently, grew so close in the past year and a half. This mission, though it was tough, made her realize how stong she'd become. Lucy finally felt ready to come back to Team Natsu.

_**-Twenty minutes later-**_

Lucy stepped into the guild and was greeted by a half frozen table thrown her way. The blond mage sighed and simply ducked, easily avoiding a head-on collision with the massive object. She walked forward in a calm manner, not really paying much attention to anything other than her favorite bar seat.

Mirajane just finished hoisting a barrel of beer over to Cana when she noticed Lucy plopping down in the seat. The silver haired barmaid squealed and caught most everyone's attention. "You're back!"

This was, of course, followed by Gray and Natsu rushing over to see the blond. However, today, one thing was off. Makarov stood on the railing of the second story, looking down to her with a warm smile. Before the two mages caught up to her, the master enlarged his hand and lifted her up to where he was with great ease.

"You can have your reunion later. I need to speak with you." The tiny man said to Lucy, making her raise an eyebrow in obvious question.

He didn't say anything after and simply hopped down, walking steadily to his office. The baffled blond furrowed her brow, thoroughly confused. He looked over his shoulder to her, then raised an eyebrow in a silent question. She simply sighed in return, and followed the tiny man into the office.

Once she was seated in the seat across from his desk, he shut the door behind him and cleared his throat. Lightning flickered within the room and before she could say a word, Laxus was standing over her with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You said you'd be back in five days. Here we are, fifteen days later, without you contacting me once." Laxus accused angrily. All Lucy could do was raise and eyebrow at him. "You had pops here worried sick, so he sent me after you."

Her breath hitched and her eyes widened. "Y-You.. You saw?" She asked in a whisper, thinking back to her fight with the mages who stood in her path to completing the quest. All Laxus had to do was nod at her, but he chose an alternative.

Lucy's chin was tilted upward by a calloused hand, forcing her to look at him. "What did I find? I found what I thought was a weakling blondie, fighting twelve men my size. Using Crystal Make magic of all things." Laxus finished, releasing her chin from his rather gentle grasp.

Her face fell to her lap. She had no idea why, but a wave of pure guilt came over her. "I... I just-"

"Crystal Make?" Makarov stated in shock, unknowingly cutting a whispering Lucy off. "When did you learn that, child?"

The question was the last one that Lucy was expecting. Her brown eyes went up and her finger placed itself on her chin as she thought. "About a month after the Games."

Makarov's brow furrowed. "You were still upset about your loss, weren't you." It was more of a statement than a question, but she nodded anyway. Instead of yelling at her, he simply brightened. "To say you were strong before would be an understatement. But now, I have a mage that can use two magics!" The old man said in a sing-song manner, almost literally dancing around. "The other masters are going to be so jealous!"

Laxus slapped his palm to his forehead and mumbled something that Lucy couldn't quite make out. He excused himself from the room and gestured for Lucy to follow. One strange thing after another, it seemed. Lucy stood, bowed to the master, and excused herself.

The blond male was already sitting at his usual table with the raijinshu. The three talked and laughed like nobody's business, but Laxus was obviously ignoring them. His gaze never once left her as she descended the stairs. When her gaze got locked with his, he smirked. "Don't worry, Blondie. I won't tell your little secret." He practically yelled across the guild.

As if on impulse, several of her nakama were hoarding around her asking her questions about the secret. She glared over to see him chuckling. Oh, that bastard.


	2. Chapter 2

**Samm; "Here's two~"**

**Gray; "Oh my gosh, really?"**

**Samm; "What?"**

**Gray; "You're a royal jerk, ya know?"**

**Samm; "Oh, just you wait. -snicker-"**

**Gray; "SECRETS DON'T MAKE FRIENDS."**

**Samm; "And friends don't make secrets. What does that tell you?"**

**Gray; "..."**

* * *

Later that evening, the guild settled down. Team Natsu were sitting around their table, chatting away. Lucy almost felt like she shouldn't interrupt, but there was a little part of her saying that she was still welcome in the team. Her legs carried her over to the table with a piece of strawberry cake in her hand. Originally, she planned on eating it, but after seeing that look on Erza's face, she gave it to the scarlet haired mage.

She sat at the table and they talked the night away like it was nothing. Catching up with old friends, she told them about some of her jobs- obviously excluding most fights- and they told her about their adventures. That was when she asked a question that turned her life completely around.

"So, would it be fine if I got back in the team?" Lucy asked with a calm face and a raised eyebrow, successfully masking her nervousness.

"Luce!" Natsu yelled, making her flinch.'_What did I do wrong?' _she thought. "I like the team as it is now.. If that's fine with you." He finished, no longer yelling at her in an accusing tone.

Out of her peripheral vision, she saw Erza begin to choke on her bite of cake and Gray's jaw animatedly drop. Gray was about to protest, and Erza seemed ready to scream at him, but Lucy interrupted the both of them.

"Oh, that's fine." She said, waving a hand like it was nothing. "I was simply wondering. It's not a problem." A small grin was on her face, and a stab went right through her heart.

"In fact.." Natsu continued now that he thought he didn't hurt her with the decision, "I was going to see if Lis wanted to join up."

That was it. The last straw. Gray seemed to feel my completely masked uncomfortable aura, and nearly flipped the table. "We're on this team, too! Don't go making decisions without us, stupid flame-brain!"

"Since when was this Team Gray?" Natsu said snidely. Lucy found herself wondering when he got like that. Sure, he told me of the two times he actually beat Gray, but was he seriously holding it against him?

A growl came from the back of Gray's throat at the comment, and honestly, Lucy didn't blame him. Instead of staying and causing a fight, she stood and smiled to the group. "Calm down, guys. Go ahead, you're not hurting anything. It would probably make her happy, too!" The blond said perkily with a false smile. No one seemed to catch that her smile was fake, though.

Without another word, Lucy began to walk away. Inside, her world was in chaos. She felt like she just lost her greatest friends. Though, on the outside, she wore a stoic facial expression. Everything within her simply broke at that moment, and there simply wasn't an expression that fit her currently.

She was approaching the doors when Laxus stood before her. "Where do you think you're going, Blondie?" He said loud and clear. In a lower whisper, simply for her alone, he spoke again. _"You're just going to sit back and take that?"_

Lucy lifted her face to look directly at him. He kept a smug expression, but his eyes spoke of shock at what he saw. Her eyes were clouded already, and seemed devoid of all emotion. Instead of asking him to move, or simply walking around him, she moved to the right of the door and punched the wall. A hole was where she punched, and when she pulled her hand back through, most of that area of the wall came with her arm. She looked down at the massive piece of wood that stuck on her like a bracelet and simply pushed it off, afterward taking her leave through the new hole.

To say that the guild was in shock after the display was almost an understatement. Laxus still looked smug as he watched her leave, but other than him, everyone was shocked at her new strength. Gray's jaw fell for the second time that day, and Erza's wide eyes showed her obvious disbelief. Natsu, on the other hand, attempted to punch the wall as nonchalantly as Lucy did, but failed in making even a dent. Even punching it as hard as possible for him, he found only a tiny dent- the size of one of his knuckles- was there.

Lucy sat on her bed, clutching her knees to her chest for dear life. Tears silently fell down her porcelain skin, and her face still seemed stolid. She gazed at the wall, but it seemed more distant than that. The lights were off, and she couldn't even sniffle since her nose wasn't running. She was crying, but it seemed that she suffered a much worse blow.

Her windows and doors were locked, since she wanted to be alone, and it wasn't long before someone entered her house. Though, the person didn't break any locks at all. It wasn't even the person she expected. In a shimmer of gold light and a puff of smoke, Aries stood in front of the blond in her usual timid manner.

"I-I'm sorry... We were all worried about you, Lucy-sama... I'm s-sorry." Aries said quietly and took one look at her master's face. The look on Lucy's face scared the ram, and the blond was soon pulled into a very soft and fluffy hug. The pink-haired celestial spirit was mumbling things like "I'm sorry" and "Please don't cry".

Lucy didn't cry harder when Aries allowed her to cry on her shoulder. Heck, her facial expression barely changed at all. Instead of comforting her master, the celestial spirit settled on putting Lucy to sleep, which surprisingly didn't take long.

_**-In the Spirit World-**_

Loke was tapping anxiously on the top of a glass table. The twelve zodiac were all gathered for a meeting, and they were waiting on the one person who showed up early to all other meetings. Soon, the ram appeared walking through her shimmering gold gate. Every spirit tensed almost immediately, sensing her change.

Aries, the usually timid female, was pissed beyond all extremes. Her hands were clutched and as she looked around, she didn't apologize once for being late. They saw the moving of her jaw and supposed that she was grinding her teeth. Everyone was questioning what could have made their overly nice friend change in this drastic manner.

"Aries? What happened?" Loke, being the leader, was the first to speak up about her odd behavior.

"Lucy." The one word got ten of the spirits, eleven if you count Gemi and Mini separate, on the edge of their seats. Before another person could speak up, she slammed her fist onto the glass table. If it hadn't been for her wool stopping the harsh impact, they all knew the table would've shattered.

"Her eyes.. Her face.. Everything about her was broken." Aries said, forcing back unwanted tears.

Loke immediately thought of the worst and looked to his sister spirit, almost whimpering. "Please tell me they bandaged her.."

Aries looked to the lion and tilted her head in a rather confused manner. It clicked in her mind when she thought about what she said. "Oh, no, not like that. Lucy's eyes showed no trace of life, no emotion. They were shedding tears, but her face was simply expressionless.." Aries felt a tear stay down her cheek. "She didn't even acknowledge me when I showed up. I tried to comfort her.." More tears fell before she was forced to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Loke was almost instantly next to her, rubbing her back in a soothing manner. "Can you show us?"

The pinkette nodded slightly, placing her hand on the table. With the tiniest amount of magic, she showed them the scene. It played out like a movie on the top of the table. Afterward, not a single spirit had a smile. Both Gemi and Mini were wearing a frown, and Taurus wasn't even talking about her boobs. Hell, even Aquarius seemed more pissed off than usual. Pisces and Libra were also upset, even though Lucy wasn't their owner. The sight was simply painful.

"I'll go when the sun rises in the human world, and ask Gray what happened." Loke said, pushing his glasses up his nose and attempting to hide his eyes from the rest. "Lets hurry this meeting up."

* * *

_*A/N; Hooray for OOC Aries~ I always had this idea of her. She's all timid and nice, unless something happens to her dear friends. I had to do this c: It makes me happy. Please don't eat me alive for it!_


	3. Chapter 3

**Samm; "-headdesk- This chapter is so short.**"

**Laxus; "Heh. Look at my awesome."**

**Samm; "You're not Prussia..."**

**Laxus; "Wh-What?"**

**Gray; "GEEZ. THAT WAS TERRIBLE. I WAS ABOUT TO KNOW, TOO. YOU'RE A JERK."**

**Samm; "-shrugs- Can't help who I am. -smirk-"**

**Gray; "Ugh."**

* * *

The next day at the guild was almost torture. Lucy wasn't there, and Gray tried checking on her. His attempt was in vain when he found that all entrances were locked. He sat in her spot at the bar, and Mirajane didn't let that go unnoticed.

"If Lucy comes in, she's going to be mad at you for taking her seat~" She almost literally sang the statement, which caused a smirk to appear on Gray's unusually depressed face.

"That's fine." Two words was all she got in reply from the upset ice-mage. This caused her to pout a bit and puff a cheek out at him. It was then that an unusual sight befell the entire guild.

A well-known mage had entered, wearing a familiar pair of blue shades and a tuxedo. His orange hair, or rather mane, was wilder than when he was officially in the guild, but everyone knew him no matter the change. After all, those rings don't belong to just anyone. Everyone was taken aback. Loke hasn't showed up like this since he became Lucy's spirit. Save for the S-class trials.

Gray sat still at the bar, his bare back kept to the doors and the lion who stood between them. He didn't have much interest in who entered the guild, and he seemed to be far more interested in the bar counter.

"Loke, what a pleasant surprise! What are you doing here?" Mirajane piped up, causing Gray to turn and look at the celestial spirit.

"I simply needed to speak to Gray here." he said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I prefer to talk to you in private. How about you put some clothes on and we go for a coffee." The lion suggested.

Gray looked down to see he was sitting in only his boxers. His eyes widened and he instantly began frantically looking around for his missing clothing articles.

"So, what's with the sudden appearance?" Gray said, breaking the silence that fell on the two. They were sitting on a riverbank, watching peacefully as the water flowed and sipping quietly on the steaming cups of caffeine the two had.

"You very well know why, Gray. Lucy." The lion looked over to him out of the corner of his eyes.

Gray looked down, allowing his hair to shadow his face. "Yeah. We've been getting pretty close here lately. She can hide her feelings and such very well, but I can usually see it." He started. Loke, of course, didn't like the beginning of the story, but he shoved his jealousy away and continued listening. "She asked to be a part of Team Natsu again. Erza and I were ready to accept her with open arms, but Natsu... He told her that he liked the team the way it was. He even went as far as to say that he wanted to invite Lisanna in it.

"Lucy tried to hide her pain. I could tell. She just had that air about her. I tried to convince Natsu otherwise, but she said it was okay. I didn't press the matter, though I know I should have. When I was on my way home last night, I passed by her apartment to check on her. I saw Aries in there, tucking Lucy in. I thought she would be okay.

"But, last night, the guilt was eating away at me. I couldn't sleep a wink because of how bad I felt about the whole ordeal." He paused, watching the stream in silence for a moment before continuing. "I thought perhaps she called a friend to help her, since the pinky was tucking her in. But as I thought more about it, I realized that if she wanted someone to be there, she would've called Plue. I felt so terrible. I tried checking on her again this morning, but everything was locked."

Gray sighed, finally finished with the story. Loke nodded to him and looked forward, without actually looking. "Aries showed us the scene. There's no more emotion in her, and her eyes seemed lifeless." The statement caused Gray to look up to him in disbelief. It had been worse than Gray thought. "She trained, day in and day out, took missions with us spirits that we thought were impossible for her, and stunned us all with her new magic. All of it was to get stronger, so that she could feel like she was truly a part of your team."

Gray's eyes widened. He knew all of what he said, save for two words that caught him completely off guard. "New magic?"

Loke looked over to him. "You mean she hasn't showed you?" Gray shook his head and Loke chuckled. "She's a-" Something caused him to stop. A bolt of lightning hit Loke square in the shoulder, causing him to fade and his coffee to hit the ground.

Gray looked back at the attacker. Laxus stood there smugly, his arms crossed over his chest and looking at Gray with a look that could kill. Lightning was emitting from his body, and it surely was scary. However, emotions were clouding Gray's mind. Without thinking, he screamed at the blond male before him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Laxus!"

"Protecting her secret." Laxus replied coldly. Despite his tone, the words seemed to be real, which caught Gray off guard. "You speak nothing of this to a soul." With that statement, the thunder dragon slayer turned around and began to walk off. "Or I'll hunt you down."

Gray's mind was officially a complete mess. Was Laxus seriously protecting something of Lucy's?

* * *

_*A/N; Ugh. So short. I'll do better next chapter, I promise ; n; This is like a bridge chapter.. To connect the previous with the next. ^- ^_

_Still.. I'm sorry it's so short._

_To make up for it, I'll tell you the results from the polls that I woke up to this morning~_

_Laxus - 39 votes_

_Gray - 20 votes_

_Natsu - 11 votes... I didn't plan on this being NaLu, but I seriously got votes for it.. So.._

_Mystery Face - 0 votes._


	4. Chapter 4

**Gray; "WHAT? WHY AM I NOT A MEMBER?"**

**Samm; "Because it's MY story."**

**Gray; "Unfair. I call bull shi-"**

**Laxus; "Deal with it."**

**Gray; "Hmph. I'll write my own story. And YOUR NOT INVITED."**

**Samm; "Oh... Kay?... You do that."**

* * *

Lucy sat up in her bed, wondering when and how she got there. Before her feet even hit the ground, her memories of the past night's events flooded her mind. She was replaced. That's all there was to it. Feeling better than she did last night, she held her clenched fist in front of her face. She wasn't going to show weakness now, especially not after all she did to get stronger. Perhaps a job would take her mind off of things.

When Lucy went to her bathroom, she turned the water on and washed her face. There were small and hardly noticeable bags under her eyes from the depressing night she previously had. Deciding a shower would be best, she turned to the shower and turned a knob. Water came flooding out of the shower head and steam instantly came with it. A nice hot shower is what she needed, right?

Before she fully got undressed, a gold light came from inside the shower. Still standing in her underwear and bra, Lucy got ready to force-close Loke's gate. That was, until she saw a blue figure. Pulling the curtains back, she saw Aquarius basking in the hot water. She raised an eyebrow. This was the first time Aquarius willingly came to Lucy, opening her own gate nonetheless.

"What are you looking at?" The mermaid spirit said, scowling at her owner.

The blond mage simply sighed in a pre-argument defeat. The action took the mermaid aback, but she didn't leave.

"Look, everyone's worried about you." Aquarius said, looking everywhere but at Lucy. "You even got Libra and Pisces upset, and you don't even own them." That statement only added to Lucy's shocked expression. "I'm tired of being with Scorpio when he's upset and worrying about you."

"So that's why." Lucy sighed. She was slightly hoping that the mermaid had finally wanted to come to terms with her, but that was swiftly tossed down the drain.

"You haven't called on any of us in the past month. We're all worried, okay?" Aquarius admitted, causing Lucy to grab onto the sink for support. This was beyond unusual. The blond even went so far as to pinch herself to be sure she wasn't dreaming. "Stop that! Jeez, you are annoying, but you grant me vacations when I ask. It's more than any other owner has done. I can't afford to loose you. My time with Scorpio depends on it."

Lucy simply rolled her eyes.

"Listen, I know I'm not the best person in the world, but I'm here to listen if you're willing to talk." Aquarius said with a smug look. She greatly resembled a high school girl trying to pry her open for good gossip.

Lucy then took her shower with Aquarius there. Lucy talked her heart out, causing unwanted tears to fall, but the mermaid never once interrupted her. Instead, she simply watched with a concerned face.

"Damn, they're assholes." Aquarius finally said, once Lucy was done. "You went through hell for them and this is how they repay you?" She scoffed, pissed off. It was strange seeing this side of her spirit, but it made her happy on the inside. "This is why I say you need a boyfriend. He'd stand up for you." She said, raising an eyebrow at the blond.

Lucy sighed with a small smile. Some things just can't be helped. This was just her spirit's way of letting her know she's there and worried, and even though Aquarius tried to hide it, Lucy knew it all too well. "Yeah, yeah." She said, about to turn the water off.

"Wait, don't stop the water yet."

Lucy paused, millimeters away from the knob. "Okay? Why?"

"I have to have water to be here, duh." The bluenette said, matter-of-factly. It made the celestial spirit mage giggle a bit before getting out. "And, besides, a boyfriend would take you on missions. You wouldn't be alone then." She said, prodding further. "I mean, you and that ice-mage seem on good terms-"

"Gray?! No way!" Lucy said with a violent blush on her face. Aquarius only smirked.

"Whatever. Y'all seem buddy-buddy is all I'm getting at."

"Yeah.. He's like my brother." Lucy said, pulling a towel around her.

"His body seems lacking, but his muscles are nice. Perhaps if you lost a few pounds-"

"OUT. NOW." Lucy screamed, her face red as she turned the shower off, causing Aquarius to fade abruptly.

After Lucy was dressed and ready to go, she forced herself to prepare for the worst. It was already midday, and she slept most of the night. It wasn't a nice sleep, but it was sleep nonetheless. Her attire today consisted of two low pony tails held up by blue hair ties, navy blue thigh-high boots, a dark blue mini skirt with it's sides slit, a white top with a baby blue heart on the breasts and orange-gold trimmings, a matching baby blue crop jacket with orange-gold hem lines, and her baby blue sleeves tied off with orange-gold ribbons. Two strands of her hair fell at either side of her face, framing it nicely, and her usual brown belt was replaced with a white one.

Once her whip and keys were securely on the belt, Lucy took leave from her abode. She made sure to lock the door behind her, wanting to keep people from entering. The last thing she needed was Team Natsu in her room, especially since she isn't in the team anymore.

As she walked down the street, she couldn't help but feel off. It was like one of her spirits had gotten hurt, but she couldn't place why. None of them were out, anyway. She was too distracted to realize that she was attracting more male attention than usual. Was it the way she was dressed? Possibly. This outfit was rather cute, in her opinion.

It was then that she walked into the guild with a smile on her face. It was refreshing to see all of her friends there, and so long as she didn't make contact with the new Team Natsu, including Lisanna, she had a feeling that she'd be alright. Lucy happily plopped into her favorite seat and looked up to Mirajane, who was eyeing her cautiously.

"Lucy, I have a question."

"Shoot." Lucy answered. Mirajane smiled at her happy demeanor, and sat a vanilla milkshake in front of her. The silver haired barmaid seemed to know what she needed and when she needed it.

"Loke came in here earlier, wanting to talk to Gray."

Lucy nearly spat the milkshake out of her mouth at the abrupt sentence. One of her friends were gone and she didn't even notice it. Looking down, she felt his key and his presence was still secure in it. "Are you sure, Mira?"

She nodded. "Ask anyone here." Lucy raised a brow and looked over Loke's key again.

At that moment, a pair of muscular and calloused hands landed on her shoulders. "You tryin'a attract the guys, Blondie?"

Lucy looked over her shoulder at a black tank top, which clutched tightly to a muscular male's torso. When she looked up, she saw Laxus. The male was looking at her in question, but there was something behind the questioning look in his eyes that she just couldn't place. It almost reminded her of worry, but this was Laxus she was looking at.

She shook her head and the thoughts were gone. "What makes you say that?"

He smirked. His left hand left her shoulder and pointed to her outfit. Specifically at her cleavage. "You usually don't flaunt what you obviously have."

She blushed slightly. He was right. This was the first time wearing the outfit. Her usual one consisted of a white shirt with a single vertical stripe and a single horizontal one, and covered her stomach and up to her neck. A shrug came from her that mad his hands come completely off of her.

"The outfit got torn on my last mission. I didn't feel like paying to get it fixed."

"Fair enough." He spoke before leaving her completely, sitting back at his table with the Thunder God Tribe.

The doors opened loudly, causing Mirajane to stop what she was about to say. They turned to see Gray, shirtless, panting and looking around. The thing that really caught her attention wasn't his entrance though. The wall that she demolished yesterday was fixed, making her wonder how it got done and how it looked like nothing ever happened to it.

"Lucy!" Gray shouted as he ran up to her. She had to force down the questions and depression she felt welling up.

"Yes?"

"Where's Loke?" He said, looking over to Laxus with a small glare. Lucy raised an eyebrow. Not only was his question off-the-wall, but the way he glared at Laxus made her a bit uneasy.

"Why?" She asked, remembering what Mira told her about Loke being there earlier. She needed to talk to her spirits about this. Three of them opened their own gates within an eighteen hour time span, and she had no knowledge of why.

"He was talking to me. We were catching up and all, when he.." He glanced over at Laxus to see the blond threatening him silently with a glare. "Faded off out of no where." He fibbed as he looked back to Lucy.

Lucy raised an eyebrow for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and followed his gaze over to Laxus. However, all she saw was him looking up at the ceiling and bobbing his head slightly. She assumed he was listening to music. Looking back to Gray, she felt her eyebrow drop and she shook her head.

"I haven't seen him today. I can call him if you want-"

"No, it's fine." Gray quickly interrupted her, making her even more curious about their talk.

It was then that she remembered Aries coming in last night to comfort her. The spirit's attempt was in vain, however, and Lucy still felt bad about it. _'Was it about last night?'_

Gray then sat next to her, his panting calmed and his eyes on her melting milkshake. He chuckled slightly before looking her over. She couldn't help but smirk as his eyes lingered for a second too long on some of her curves. Her smirk only grew when she saw him look at her, his cheeks turning a faint pink like he's been caught.

He cleared his throat and looked away almost immediately. "Your milkshake is melting."

Lucy looked at her milkshake and began drinking it. Slightly sloshy from the melting, but still frozen enough to get an icy feel to it. Drinking it this way seemed better than when it's freshly made. It caused Lucy to drink a bit too much, and she almost instantly pulled back to see that she drank over half of it in one go.

Her hands went to her temples and Mirajane giggled slightly from behind the bar. "Brain freeze?"

Lucy only nodded before she lay her pained head on the bar. She took a peak at Gray from the corner of her eyes, seeing his slightly worried expression. Her mind then went to what Aquarius had said earlier. She blushed and was thankful for her head being down.

"How about a job?" Gray said, nudging her elbow slightly with a smile.

"Sounds good-"

"I don't think so, you brats." Makarov yelled from his post on the second floor railing.

Every mage within the building looked up at him in question, even the just arriving Gildartz who was still standing at the doorway.

"It's one week until this year's Grand Magic Games!" Makarov stated, his fist flying upward. "Anyone want to know who I've chosen for the team?"

"We're only having one team this year?" Questioned Natsu, who was obviously thinking about last year.

The tiny old man nodded. "Now that the five of you are here, I'll announce it."

Everyone's attention went to the door. Of course, Gildartz would be the head of the team this year. He nervously rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the pressure of all the gazes settled on him. "Heheh.." He laughed slightly.

"This years team includes Gildartz Clive," everyone shouted and whooped in admiration, knowing they'd have a severe advantage with him on board. "Cana Alberona," The said mage looked up from her barrel questioningly. She then looked at her arm where the Fairy Glitter mark was, which made her smirk. "Laxus Dreyar," the mage only grunted in acceptance. "Erza Scarlet," the said mage nodded, accepting the position and the cheers from her comrades around her. "And finally.."

Suspense began building within the room, as Gray and Natsu looked at each other with sparks flying. They knew it would be one of them but as to which one, no one knew. Yet. Everyone's eyes were flicking to just about every person present. The cheers for the others died down quickly. Some people were silently betting Gajeel or Juvia, while others were silently debating on Gray and Natsu. The master smirked, looking down at his brats. None of them expected the name he called next.

"Lucy Heartfilia!"

* * *

_*A/N; This author likes cliffhangers~ ^ -^ Don't you? _


	5. Chapter 5

**Samm; "I'm so sorry this one is late."**

**Laxus; "Why's pinky in here?"**

**Samm; "I promised two NaLu chapters.. Here's one."**

* * *

Lucy looked up at the old man like he was insane. Cheers were heard, though some people dropped their jaws animatedly. Lucy happened to be a part of the latter group. Makarov looked down to her shocked expression with a wink and a thumbs-up. Her head fell on the counter again. Next week was going to be rough.

Laxus somehow managed to get up and close the gap between them. She felt something heavy leaning on her, and recognized the limb leaning on her as an elbow. Laxus leaned down and whipered to her. "You're more than worthy of that position." She blushed, not only as his comment but at the way his warm breath sent pleasent chills down her back. Maybe he wasn't all that bad.

Gray wasn't having any of that, apparently. He looked up with a scowl and narrowed his eyes at the lightning mage. "What did you say?"

"None of your business, that's what." Laxus answered snidely.

Lucy grumbled something, incomprehensable to the both of them, and stood. The action caused Laxus' arm to fall off of her back. Her next action caused the two to question her current state of mind. She walked calmly over to Cana, took her barrel from her, and dragged the brunette out of the guild.

Laxus and Gray looked at each other in question before looking back to where the girls were just moments ago.

The two girls were sitting on Lucy's bed. They were sitting with their legs criss-crossed and facing each other. Cana had just said something that apparently the two had thought was funny, and they broke into giggle fits. Lucy had Plue called out and the little spirit was wobbly walking between the two as if he didn't know who he wanted to snuggle with more.

Natsu found himself sitting outside her window, looking at the sight with a small smile on his face. Lucy was definitely stronger than before. He looked down to his hands and questioned just about everything. When she originally left the team, she left his heart in broken fragments. He daily questioned her actions and every time he looked at her, it left his heart even more broken.

He never fully understood why she left the team until today. Her strange behavior after last year's games finally made sense. She wanted to get stronger. Natsu found himself feeling like a jerk. He didn't want her back because he was afraid of the heartache she caused him, and he was sure that denying her would cause her the very same ache.

Natsu looked down. He felt so low.

His hands tried to lift the window, but to no avail. She locked the window. He looked into the clear sheet of glass that separated them. She was happily laughing with the guild's drunkard. To him, she seemed carefree and joyous. She pulled one of the keys he recognized, and within the next three seconds Aries was there before the three. The two hugged and he was sure that was the salty scent of tears he caught a faint drift of.

Now why would she be crying? Because of what he had said? Natsu felt another wave of depression before he hopped down from the spot on the roof he had been perched on. His hands went to behind his neck as he recalled everything within the time she'd been a solo mage.

Gray admitting to Natsu that he had feelings for the blond mage. Laxus' discomfort in her leaving on long missions. Erza's crying, thinking she'd loose Lucy like all of her old friends. Everything flooded his mind like there was no tomorrow.

He didn't recall when he had started walking, but he found himself looking into the window of a well-known magic shop. He wandered in and looked around before seeing an item he was sure Lucy would love. A silver key, and even though he wasn't sure what it was or if the price on it was accurate, but without hesitation he bought the item.

The dragon slayer held it up in the light, watching it's silver surface shine like it was a recently shined wedding ring. Why did she find interest in such little items? He smiled warmly and thought of Lucy's bright smile and happy face. Before he smelt a strong scent of alcohol mixed with ink and stiffly flimsy Komori Lithrone. Beer and Cards.

His eyes wandered up to see Cana leaving Lucy's house. He quickly shoved the key into his pocket and turned down Strawberry Street. The very thought of having Lucy to himself for a day made him rush forward to the pink apartment settled neatly on the street in the middle of other tall buildings. He walked up to the door, about to barge in, before reality struck him like a jazz chord. Instead, the eager fire-mage settled on knocking on the door he never used.

Waiting outside felt like it had been hours before Lucy finally opened the door. Her eyes were overcome with the look of great depression and his happy smile quickly left him. She was about to slam the door in his face before he stuck his foot in the way.

"Lucy, wait."

"What do you want, Natsu? Shouldn't you be spending time with your lady, Lisanna?" She scoffed, merely inches away from the door that was still only being held partially open by a protruding foot.

Ouch. That stung. "Can you at least let me talk?" Natsu said, looking down at the concrete with his voice barely above a whisper. He was positive that he had been the one to hurt her, and all he wanted to do was wipe that pain away.

"What is it, here to gloat more?" Lucy said. It was obvious she wasn't letting things go as easily as he had originally planned.

"Listen. I was stupid, okay?" Natsu practically screamed at the door. "I didn't mean a word I had said.. And I really want you back-"

"Why? Is it because I was chosen for the Games?" Lucy retorted, shaking her head even though he couldn't see it. "Strength isn't everything."

"I know it's not!" Natsu finally yelled. "I wanted to apologize for the shit that I put you through, and here you are-"

The door flung open abruptly. Standing there was his worst nightmare. Lucy's brown eyes were struck with dissappointment and hurt, and tears were freely falling down her reddening cheeks. Her hair was slightly disorderly and her fists here tightly clenched. His heart shattered more merely at the sight.

"I'm here what, crying because you're stupid?" She whispered, making it so quiet even his sensitive ears had to lean in to hear. "You don't want me back on the team. I get it."

His body seemed to act of it's own accord. His hand went to grab her shoulders and he pulled her into a tight hug. His right hand pulled her head to his shoulder and his left went to the small of her back, pressing her against him lightly. "Don't cry. I want to spend the day with you. We've changed, and I-" He cut himself off before biting the inside of his cheeks. "My feelings haven't changed." He whispered to her, his mouth dangerously close to her ear as he held her closer.

"Something's hurting my thigh." Lucy said through a sniffle.

Oh, right. The key. His right hand went down to his pocket and he pulled out the silver item that was jabbing her in the leg. Even though his stomach was wound tightly, he held the key in front of her as though it was an everyday coincidence. "I got this for ya." His grip on her left as she moved toward the key. "I didn't know if you already had it, and I know it doesn't make up for my actions, but I thought-"

Natsu was cut off by a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his neck tightly. Sometimes, he simply knew how she worked. He returned to embrace.

"I still don't forgive you, but thank you. Maybe sometime this week, if all goes well, we can go hang out. Like old times."

He looked to Lucy and nodded, his signature grin playing happily on his lips. She sniffled and wiped away the tears that lingered on her waterline and nodded as he simply took that and walked away, in a better mood than before.

Laxus stood in the guild as his grip on his mug grew too tight. The handle of said liquid container soon shattered, leaving his hand cut and bleeding but his face seeming as angered as can be. Lightning was unknowingly coming from the ear phones on his head as a growl escaped his throat.

Sometimes, he hated when the cheerleader allowed him to hear everything she was thinking and doing. The conversation with Natsu she had just had made his blood boil. They had planned a date later in the week, and the very thought of that made him clutch his hand so hard that his knuckles went white.

Natsu would be put in a hospital for years to come before that happened, and Laxus would make damned sure of it.

* * *

_*A/N; Crappy chapter, I know. But here's the bridge for chapter 6~_

_Addressing _a random fairy_'s question: There is one week from now until the games. I will be writing for the entirety of that week for Lucy to see which guy she ends up with. ^-^_


	6. Chapter 6

**Samm; "YAY. I had so much fun writing this-"**

**Laxus; "THAT BLONDIE ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH TO BEAT US!"**

**Gray; "-menacing aura- Laxus..."**

**Laxus; "Blame her."**

**Samm; "Hey!"**

* * *

The morning sun peered through the pink curtains. So many millions of miles away, yet the dun had perfect aim. The light landed right on her face, making her grumble and pull the covers over her head in a vain attempt to get more sleep. A small and faint shuffling sound came from far off in her apartment, and Lucy shot up like a rocket. She locked the doors last night, so who could possibly be in her house?

The blond moaned and grumbled again, attempting to wipe the sleep from her dreary eyes. For a moment, Lucy had forgotten about the noise and was more concerned about fully waking up. Until, however, a loud bang was heard from her kitchen. The noise was enough to wake nearly the entire neighborhood up, and she was instantaneously out of bed and on her feet.

One hand was fisted and placed on the other hand's palm as she walked toward her door. A scent wafted out and attacked her nostrils. Who on Earthland would barge in and make breakfast? The scent reminded her of the days she's wake up and make pancakes and bacon for Team Natsu. That was it, right? Team Natsu?

Two familiar voices were heard downstairs in a failed attempt to keep an argument quiet. Being muffled by not only the doors, but the walls as well, made them sound faint and distant, but there nonetheless. As she quietly opened the door, the voiced were amplified.

"Calm down, she hasn't woke up yet, right? I mean, she has to be. The food isn't even done."

"If all serves well, the collision was loud enough to alert anyone in a fifty-mile radius."

"Oh, calm down you."

Then, the voices were silent. Lucy stood at her door, unsure of what to do. No doubt that they- whoever they were-were cooking in her abode. On the plus side, it wasn't robbers of any sort. But, on the down side there were people intruding on her home. While she was asleep, too. Normally, only Team Natsu did that. The voices were distinctly familiar, yet she couldn't place Natsu and Gray as the owners of the voices.

Lucy cautiously walked out of her room, a pink circle around her hands as she readied herself for a possible fight. The sight of the men in her kitchen, though, made her laugh more than want to fight. Freed stood in all his elegance with pancake batter splattered all over him. Bixlow didn't look any better, and even had his shirt off. The visor stayed on, covering his potentially dangerous eyes, though.

But that wasn't even the best part. Laxus, in all his glory, stood over the stove. He was equipped with a spatula in one hand and a fork in the other. His attire may have had pancake on it as well, but it was at least covered with a frilly- light pink- apron. Lucy felt her insides coil and burn as she laughed at the men as they attempted to cook breakfast. All anger from them breaking in had subsided as soon as she saw the three with a look like a child with their hand caught in the cookie jar.

"What are you laughing at, Blondie?" Laxus said snidely, attempting to but on a viscious and scary front. The sight of him trying to do so in her apron only made her gasp for air as she laughed harder. Her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen, but it didn't matter.

"Y-Y-Y-Y-Your... M-M-My apron.." were the few things she managed to get out in her gasps for air.

"Tch." Laxus looked away from the dying female with a heavy-set blush settling over his cheeks. "I try to do something nice and you laugh at me."

"Laxus is trying, Miss Lucy! Don't ridicule him for-"

"I told you not to wear it." Bixlow cut in, interrupting Freed, who was vainly attempting to save their leader's dignity.

After her fit of laughter died down to giggles bubbling up, she strode up to the kitched counter. "How'd you manage to get in, anyway?"

"About that..." Bixlow said, rubbing the back of his neck and nervously looking to the door handle.

"We apologize." Freed said, bowing slightly.

One look was all that was needed. Lucy's brown eyes widened and her mouth opened. She wasn't sure if it was anger or shock that she was feeling, but her doorknob told a story of it's own. The once-gold handle was burnt to a crisp and nearly falling off the hole it was kept in. A wave of relief washed over her.

"At least it wasn't the window.."

"What was that?" Laxus piped in, wondering about her new aura.

"A-Ah.. Nothing." Lucy replied. He surely didn't need to know how Gray, Erza, and Natsu would enter through the window. He might be Laxus, but he would still get angry over a little detail like that.

* * *

As it turns out, Laxus was quite the cook. Breakfast for the four consisted of two pancakes, four strips of bacon, and diced fruit on each plate. To say that she was surprised about the taste was an understatement. There were a counted seven times that she complimented the male on it during the small time span they spent eating. Each time, the small blush on his cheeks only seemed to worsen.

The four ate for about twenty minutes before Bixlow finally piped in. "So we hear that you've gained strength, cosplay queen."

Lucy shot a glare over to the lightning mage, "Did you tell them! You promised-"

"Keep your cool. He hasn't told us anything." Bixlow said. "I was talking about how you got put on the team with the titans of the guild."

"O-Oh.. About that.." Lucy said shyly, keeping her gaze at her emptily dirty plate.

"Don't tell me you're dropping." Laxus spoke up. It had been the first time he spoke since they sat down.

"I-I.. W-Well.." Lucy started. "I honestly think that someone else would be option."

"Who?" Freed inquired curiously.

"I dunno. Anyone." Lucy answered. Flashes of the previous games flooded her mind, only worsening her mood.

"That wasn't your fault and you know it." Laxus answered back at her.

"B-But-"

"Today you're training with us. No questions." Laxus said before picking up the dirty dishes and placing them in the sink. Lucy was about to protest when he spoke up again. "I don't keep secrets from them.. So showing them yourself doesn't mean I was the culprit."

"LAXUS!" Lucy shouted as Freed and Bixlow exchanged a curious look.

* * *

He meant to do this, and she knew it. She was trapped in their plan, and only one thing could get her out. The purple runed locked the three in an area, while a small clatter was head as Bixlow's visor hit the ground. Yes, she could easily get out and avoid this situation, but Laxus wasn't having any of that. Playing the weak card wasn't something he was going to allow.

Laxus's lightning came right for her. They haven't let up since they began their spar, and unless she used it, she'd be toast. Without thinking, Lucy's hands slammed together, and the next thing the three saw was pink Crystal-form of Lucy stood in the prior placement of the blond. Laxus smirked as the other two gaped at what was before them.

Lucy was crouched on a tree branch above them, looking down at the two silently freak out over their new discovery. Laxus, however, kept a cool head and scouted around for the blond. She knew there was no turning back now, so she went ahead with her original attacks. The one's she's been polishing since first acquiring them.

Her blond hair was the only thing Laxus saw before it hit him. A pink crystal hammer came down hard onto his head, causing him to almost black out. Taking this moment to her advantage, Lucy jumped and landed a direct kicking blow to his jaw, causing him to fly back and hit the runes to the back. Freed turned in time to notice she's encased him within a crystal prison which somehow didn't allow him to use his rune magic.

Then there it was. Bixlow and Lucy's fight. He threw a punch with his right hand, looking at her the entire time. She wouldn't allow herself to be caught in his gaze, and instead read his movements on his feet alone. Her head barely went back in time to miss the punch thrown, before she jumped back. Bixlow reacted in time, leaning and lumping forward toward her. As his hand went out, it connected with a leg.

Lucy was upside down in a half-hand stand when he punched her thigh. It was a good and solid punch, too. Freed gaped at how she somehow managed to keep her hands' ground through the impact. Her other leg managed to go around and hook onto his neck. The hurt leg hoisted him up and threw him over her as she went back to a normal stance.

The normally visored male hit the ground hard. A small crater was left where his right shoulder had collided with the earth. Behind her, she her crackling and sizzling. That was all Lucy needed. Instantly, her hands collided with each other.

"CRYSTAL WALL!" She shouted, the noise echoing and bouncing off the runes set. Instantly, a pink and sturdy wall formed around her, barely making it in time to guard her from the yellow flash that was absorbed by the pink material.

Bixlow used this moment to land a direct hit on Lucy's stomach, which caused her to double over in pain. He thought he'd use her new pose to get her back. His knee came up as his fist was coming up. Double impact. Or so he thought. His knee was caught by her, and she pulled it up instantly, causing him to come well off the ground. She never let him go, and instead clutched onto his knee and spinning him around once.

Once she released the male, he flew in a not-so-graceful motion toward the lightning mage, breaking right through the crystal and toppling the two over. The impact of Bixlow's head with the pink material caused him to be rendered unconscious as Laxus stood. To her right, she saw Freed's jaw open. He was stunned beyond all comprehension.

Lucy rushed forward toward Laxus as was about to get a direct hit on him when he caught her fist. How he managed to do so was pure coincidence and luck. He was moving his hand for a Claw of the Thunder Dragon when hers connected with his. He grunted slightly before smirking. She stood there, stunned into paralyzation. His hand was sending lightning everywhere, and just as he was about to direct it toward her dainty fist in his massive palm, she stopped him in his tracks.

'This better work.' Lucy thought.

Her body moved upward, attempting to make up for the height she lacked when compared to him. Her free hand grabbed his cheek almost forcefully and she pulled him down quickly. He didn't seem to mind, as he was focused more on the lightning, but when he saw her brown eyes looking directly into his, he froze. She moved up and closed every gap between the two, pressing her lips onto his with a slight force.

His eyes widened and his lightning instantly left him. Laxus's blue-gray eyes looked down to the closed-eyed blond who was kissing him. That moment, to him, was pure bliss. He knew it was to get him to stop from attacking her, and he will admit that it worked, but it backfired as well.

Lucy was caught up, not in the heat of the battle, but rather by the heat of Laxus himself. She pressed herself against him as he closed his eyes and leaned into the kiss. His arms wrapped around her waist and her arms around his neck. Sure, it wasn't a perfect first kiss, but Laxus didn't care. The girl he's been protecting and keeping in his heart had kissed him first. That's all that mattered.

Too soon the moment of bliss was over. Lucy forced herself back to reality and pulled away, leaving Laxus questioning and stunned. Her hands collided and she pulled away completely with a smile. "Crystal Lock-down."

Pink crystals came up from the ground to wrap themselves around Laxus's legs, holding him down. They branched off and kept his arms locked away as well. That was when Laxus smirked. He knew they lost, but to him, he gained much more. More than any amount of money or power could grant him. He simply looked over to a red-faced Freed. Lucy's lips pressed against Laxus's once more.

"I win." She said as she quickly pulled away. He only smiled gently to her, a smile some haven't seen in years.

"Gah. You could get a room. Fighting like that is torture." Bixlow said as he sat up, rubbing his head in agonizing pain. It seemed like the pain wasn't enough to keep him from winking suggestively to his leader.

"I could have fought.." Freed whined from inside the crystals.

"Listen and listen good." Lucy said menacingly. They all looked to her without question. "No one is to say a word. I won't hesitate to.." Crystals threatened to pierce Freed and Bixlow's throats as she pause. "Rip your vocal cords out forcefully."

"U-Understood." Freed choked out, obviously feeling threatened.

"A-Aye." Bixlow said shakily, suddenly turning into another Happy.

Lucy smiled before removing all crystals from the three men. Laxus didn't waste any time in rushing over to her and picking her up. Being carried bridal style wasn't the surprise to her. It was the fact that Laxus was the one holding her. He smiled down to her and kissed her forehead before walking away calmly with a blushing Lucy in tow.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the four, an ice mage stayed in the shadows watching the events unfold. An unwarranted and ferociously meanicing growl escaped as he glared at Laxus with all his might. Anyone would've thought that Gray was attempting to kill the man simply with looks alone.

"Laxus..."

* * *

_*A/N; I had sooooo much fun writing this one. w I hope this satisfies your Laxus/Lucy needs. ^- ^_


	7. Chapter 7

**Samm; "OH MY GOSH. IT'S FINALLY OUT."**

**Laxus; "Yeah, and why did I have to be the one to make Cheerleader cry?"**

**Gray; "I dunno, but I gotta daaaate~"**

**Laxus; "-glares at Gray-"**

**Gray; "-sticks his tongue out childishly at Laxus-"**

**Samm; ". . .Aaaanyway.. Sorry for the delay, but here it is~"**

* * *

The guild was surprisingly quiet that evening. A lot of things around her were changing at a rapid pace, as well. Lucy barely had time to stop and think about what was going on. She was sitting at a table with the Thunder God Tribe and sipping on a vanilla milkshake. It seemed like an ordinary day at first. That was, until Gray and Natsu showed up.

"Lucy! Why are you sitting with them!" Natsu whined while pointing to Team Natsu's usual table.

Gray kept quiet, but had an obvious scowl on his face. There was more than one thing wrong with him, too. Lucy met his gaze once and she felt guilt wash over her for no reason. He looked hurt, pained, betrayed, and above all pissed. She raised an eyebrow at him but all he did was sit at his usual seat. Natsu was still whining, but his words seemed to go in one ear and out the other.

Bixlow, sitting beside her, sneered. "She isn't your property. She can sit where ever she wants."

Evergreen was as confused as everyone else. She had no idea why Lucy was sitting with them and talking like they were best friend that had just been reunited. She didn't mind though, since Lucy was an interesting character. Freed seemed to nod at Bixlow's statement, but Laxus didn't move.

Laxus sat with his arms crossed over his chest and giving the ice mage a look that could kill. To make matters worse, Gray didn't look away or act scared of him. He actually returned the same look.

"Miss Lucy, would you like accompany us for supper?" Freed spoke up, sounding as elegant as ever.

Laxus pulled his gaze from Gray to raise an eyebrow at Freed. It looked like he was opposing the offer, but Lucy knew otherwise. She'd spent plenty of time around him in the past year, all thanks to the Master.

"I'd love to!" Lucy replied with a smile on her face.

Laxus took one look at Lucy before a very faint blush dusted across his cheeks. Bixlow didn't miss that and began to snicker at the thunder mage. Evergreen, surprisingly, didn't get pissed at the blond female. Instead, she began teasing Lucy about Laxus, which made both of the mages light up a bright red.

This didn't go unnoticed by the guild. Hell, even Romeo and Wendy could see it. Gray got up and stormed out of the building, causing Natsu to wonder what had his boxers in a bundle.

* * *

Evergreen and Lucy seemed to get along better than chicken and rice. The two talked nearly all through dinner, while Bixlow would throw in his crude comments from time to time. Freed kept quiet and only interjected when he felt necessary. Laxus, however, couldn't seem to manage a single word. He ate in silence and kept an ear on the conversation, yet at the same time he got lost in his thoughts.

In one simple day, not even a full twenty-four hours, his world had flipped completely. To him, the shift was for the better. The plate beneath him had run dry and was devoid of all scraps of potato, steak, and vegetables. One of his eyebrows quirked up curiously because he knew that there was another spoonful of carrots there only a moment ago. When he looked up, he found it. Lucy had managed to get her spoon over to his plate, scoop up the orange vegetables, and was about to shovel the steamed goods into her mouth.

"Oi, what are you doing, Blondie?" Laxus said, leaning over to pry the spoon away from her. She wasn't going to budge and give it back, though.

"I'm eating." She said stubbornly, a hint of mischief hidden in her chocolate eyes.

"Give me my damned carrots back already." Laxus demanded, though it came out wimpy. Why couldn't he order her around like he does the rest of the raijinshu?

"Nooooope~" Lucy sang, tugging on the spoon a little harder.

"Lucy, I want-" Laxus was cut off by the feeling of something mushy on his face. His eyes narrowed. She let go of the spoon and it's contents were sent flying at his face. "Oh, is that how it's going to be?"

Laxus stood abruptly, cutting off the side conversation between Evergreen and Bixlow. The four at the table looked up to him in question, though all he did was "hmph" and pick his plate up. It seemed as though he was going to completely ditch them, and Lucy wasn't having any of that. She threw her arms around one of his more muscular ones and held onto it as though it were a life line.

"Laxus, don't go. I'm sorry.." Lucy choked out, trying to make herself sound sad without giving the impression that she really was.

"Sorry? For what, flinging carrots on my face?" Laxus said abruptly, finally wiping the orange mess from his face.

Lucy only nodded, keeping her eyes locked with his. He felt everything within him melt under the gaze and instantly got an idea. He jerked his arm free, which started everyone present, and took leave to the kitchen for a brief moment to set his plate inside the sink. He was swift to come back, and picked Lucy up without hesitation.

It wasn't as funny to Lucy as it was to the chuckling Laxus. She had been taking a large drink of her iced water, and it spilled all over her. He ignored her colorful language and complaints about how he should put her down, and flung her over his shoulder. He looked over to her confused face with a wide smirk. He carried her out of the room without another word.

* * *

Gray sat in Lucy's living room, simply waiting for her return. It took a while, but he finally calmed down after seeing such a sight as Lucy kissing Laxus. What did that muscle-for-brains do to deserve a woman like Lucy? He made the guild turn against itself, forced everyone to fight, and was an all around jerk to her. Yet, somehow, he managed to get into her heart. If he didn't, then why would Lucy be the one kissing him?

Gray sat on her couch lazily, holding onto his mug of hot cocoa like it was a life line. He may not ask her why she did that, but he definitely was going to ask about what their relationship was. His eyes narrowed at his thoughts as he contemplated the best way to do just that.

Gray was about to get up when the front door swung open. Laxus stood in the doorway with a triumphant smile with Lucy cradled in his arms. She was blushing a bit and yelling at him about breaking the lock on her door. However, Laxus's smile failed him when he saw the ice mage sitting so comfortably on her couch.

Lucy followed his gaze to see Gray and that only made her blush more. "G-Gray!"

"What are you doing here, stripper?" Laxus said with an angry sneer.

"I was waiting on Lucy to return. I have to talk to her about something." Gray answered too calmly for Laxus's comfort.

Laxus scoffed and sat Lucy down. "Well here she is." He scoffed and looked down to her with protectiveness and jealousy covering his features. He then turned and slammed the door on his way out.

Lucy's face turned to a scowl and she stomped her foot even though he wasn't there any longer. She was about to scream when Gray cleared his throat, which caused her to turn around abruptly.

"What's his problem?"

"Honestly.." Lucy began as she walked over to him and slumped on the couch next to him. "I don't have a clue. They have me over for dinner and he doesn't talk at all, then he brings me home like that and stomps off!" She let out a frustrated grunt.

Gray felt jealousy bubbling up within his stomach. He vainly attempted to push it down before speaking again. "What's up with you two, anyway?"

Lucy seemed to catch the jealousy lining his voice and a faint smile spread calmly over her features. "Well, I don't think there's anything." She said coldly, sadness lining her voice as much as jealousy was lining Gray's.

"What do you mean?" Gray asked, obviously concerned. If Laxus hurt her by doing this, Gray wouldn't have words to tell about how pissed off he would be.

"Well, we fought. It was training for the games, of course. I tried to show him that I liked him.." Lucy allowed her bangs to cover her eyes, even though Gray knew there were tears threatening to spill over. "And then he pretty much throws me out of his house without so much as a 'goodbye'. Hell, if he would have told me he didn't feel the same way, it would have been easier to deal with than that!"

"Hey.." Gray said, rubbing her back and attempting to comfort her. "Maybe.. Maybe he's not.. Not good at showing h-how he feels." Gray said, no emotion evident in his voice. The person he was actually talking about was himself, but it stung him to know that he was comforting her for Laxus. If she liked that lightning-freak, he had no right to get in her way. No matter how much he wanted to.

Lucy sniffled and used the back of her hand to wipe at her eyes. "B-But.."

"But nothing. Write your mother. I bet she's worried." Gray stood, taking a sip of his long forgotten mug of cocoa. "After that, we'll go out." Gray turned his back to her, attempting to hide his blushing from the golden-haired lass. "N-Not in any way, of course, but only to cheer you up. We'll go see a movie and I'll take you shopping." He turned back to look at her, a forced smile on his features. "Sound good?"

Lucy giggled adorably at him and nodded at the idea. She slowly stood up and walked off to her room to write her mother, like she usually did. Once she was out of the room Gray slapped himself. He spoke in a whisper, trying to to be heard by Lucy in the other room. "What are you doing, Gray! She's upset about Laxus, dammit, and you're taking her out?!" Gray shook his head at himself. Not thinking about it could possibly be the solution to being upset.

* * *

_*A/N; Oh my goodness. ; n; Shoot meh. Someone needs to, like, message me daily to make sure I write or something. HA. But this LONG delay is what something called Writer's Block does to you. I'm soooo sorry._

_Next chapter will be better, I promise D:_


	8. Chapter 8

**Samm; "I hope you like it~ I stayed up all night plotting this-"**

**Laxus; "WHAT THE HELL. THAT'S NO WAY TO END A CHAPTER."**

**Gray; "For once I agree with muscle-brains here!"**

**Samm; "Muahahahaha. Cliff hangers."**

**Laxus; "THIS IS SHIT****_!"_**

**Samm; "Deal with it."**

* * *

Laxus was about to walk away when he smelled something off. Something wet and salty and all too much like Lucy. It was that very scent he knew best and at the same time he hated it with his entire being. The scent of Lucy's tears. Why she was crying was unknown to him but that didn't stop rage from coursing through his body. He stopped and turned to the door to glare at the wood that separated him from the beloved damsel behind it.

One thing, and only this one thing, was able to stop him before he shoved his way in again. At first, his mind made the connection of Lucy crying and Gray being there. Anyone would obviously think what he did; Gray made Lucy cry. The words spoken, however, made his world stop entirely.

"Well, we fought. It was training for the games, of course. I tried to show him that I liked him. And then he pretty much throws me out of his house without so much as a 'goodbye'. Hell, if he would have told me he didn't feel the same way, it would have been easier to deal with than that!" Lucy seemed to scream.

Things were coming into his mind at such a rapid speed that he couldn't get a steady grasp on one thought. She thought he didn't like her. She thought he threw her out. She thought he didn't feel the same way. She likes him.

_'She likes me.'_ He thought. That one thought made his ears ring and his heart skip several beats. Laxus's face turned an uncharacteristic shade of deep crimson as those three words echoed loudly in the now empty abyss of his mind. For a moment he thought he was on a new high. The last time he felt that way was the first Fantasia festival the old man had ever taken him to and he honestly gave up on getting that feeling again. But here it was.

Somehow he managed to pull himself out of the euphoric trance those words had set him in but he refused to turn away from the door. He needed a cover up to go back into the apartment and fast. Gray liked her, that much was common knowledge to everyone at the guild, and Laxus wasn't going to let Lucy slip from him. However, for the second time that day, he was shocked.

"Hey." Gray said. There was a short pause afterward that made the blond eaves dropper more anxious. "Maybe.. Maybe he's not.. Not good at showing h-how he feels."

"B-But-" Lucy started, stuttering. The sadness that dripped off of her voice made his heart start to tear itself apart.

"But nothing. Write your mother. I bet she's worried. After that, we'll go out. N-Not in any way, of course, but only to cheer you up. We'll go see a movie and I'll take you shopping. Sound good?" Gray said choppily.

Laxus's blood began to boil at that. He heard quiet, dainty footsteps as the sound faded off and assumed Lucy went off to do as Gray said. His eyes narrowed and barely had the conscious to walk away before starting something that didn't need to be started. As he was walking away, though, he rethought the events of the day. What was planned was to bring her here and watch a few movies but it was now quite obvious that wasn't happening.

With a scowl on his face, Laxus slowly made his way home.

* * *

_June 25th_

_Dear Momma,_

_I'm sorry for not writing you for a while. I told you that I'd be going on a mission, but it was a lot harder than I had originally predicted. It took twice as long as I had expected, and when I came home nothing but pure drama broke out. Laxus found out about our little secret, and told the Master. Then, with that in mind, Makarov chose me to go in the Grand Magic Games. There are six days, excluding today, left before then. I just hope his decision was good.. I wouldn't be able to deal with a repeat of last year's events._

_Momma, Natsu kicked me off the team. I thought that I'd just get my spot back, but things don't always go the way we intend them to, ne? Even so, it hurt. I felt like he was speaking out of spite, like I had done something to hurt him or something, but I don't remember doing anything. It made me so depressed that my spirits got really worried. Even Aquarius showed herself and listened to me. That in itself was scary. But Aries was there to watch me breakdown because of Natsu and told everyone.. Even Loke came out on his own._

_Which reminds me; I have to talk to them about that._

_On another note, Natsu apologized. It's not like I can completely forgive him, but he went out and got me a new silver key. It wasn't much, of course, but to think that he'd do that for me made me happy. Still, those words he said still hurt me.._

_Then today there were more intruders in my house. Surprisingly it wasn't Team Natsu, but instead it was the raijinshu. You remember, the ones who follow under Laxus? Yeah. The sight was priceless. I woke up, ready to fight, and yet Bixlow was shirtless- but kept his visor on- and covered with pancake batter. Freed was as well, but was fully clothed. Then, there was Laxus. He had on my pink apron of all things, and was making pancakes for us. I almost died from lack of oxygen, it was just that funny._

_They took me out to train with them.. But I have a feeling that it was mainly because Laxus didn't want to keep any secrets between them. I easily trapped Freed and beat Bixlow.. But the only was I could beat Laxus.. Well, Momma.. I kissed him. I showed him how I felt through that. And he seemed happy with it._

_We went back to the guild and chatted for a while before going over to Laxus's house for dinner. Evergreen, Bixlow, and Freed were there too, don't worry! But Laxus wasn't talking. I didn't notice that at first, because I was talking with Ever. She's so awesome! I didn't expect her to be that cool! But then I noticed his quietness and decided to eat the last of his carrots.. We struggled over my spoon, but when I released it they went all over his face. He was so mad he carried me back home..._

_Did I mess it up that badly? I didn't think it would be that big of a deal... But.. It hurts, Momma. I really like him and he just dropped me like yesterday's news. Maybe that's how he really is.. It's times like these that I really wish you were here with your advice. I can't linger on those feelings, though. I have to stay strong._

_Well, I'll write you later, okay? Gray's taking me out to cheer me up. Sometimes, I feel like he's the older brother I never had. He just knows. Love you!_

_-Lucy_

After writing the letter, Lucy leaned back in her chair with a sigh. There were more tear drops on this one than the others, but how could she help it. So much happened in two mere days. She folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, dropping the wax on to seal it and stamping the wax with her signature L.

Lucy knew that her face must be red and puffy from the crying. She was going to was her face before going back in there to Gray. She stood shakily and went to the bathroom, closing the door securely behind her. After looking herself over in the mirror, Lucy turned the sink's faucet on. She checked the water several times before actually using it to wash her face free from the remnants of her previous crying.

* * *

Gray waited in the living room for at least thirty minutes. He didn't know what she was doing, but he was getting really worried. He knew that no matter how sad she got she wouldn't take drastic measures, but this time felt different. Maybe it was because of what Loke said.

_"She trained, day in and day out, took missions with us spirits that we thought were impossible for her, and stunned us all with her new magic. All of it was to get stronger, so that she could feel like she was truly a part of your team."_

Gray's eyes narrowed as he remembered the conversation all too clearly.

_"You mean she hasn't showed you? She's a-"_

The next part was also remembered. The way Loke was cut off and forced back to his world by Laxus attacking him. If Lucy knew that, her like for the guy may change to hate. Perhaps then he would have a chance with her. Gray instantly shook his head and looked out the window. That would just be too low, and it would only hurt her more. He was pulled back to the memory, Laxus's words ringing through his head.

_"Protecting her secret. You speak nothing of this to a soul. Or I'll hunt you down."_

Gray sat on the couch again and entwined his fingers together. Something here didn't add up and it was bugging him. He stared off into space as he contemplated on the matter, still looking in the general direction of the window.

Laxus dumped her off here. He slammed the door on the way out, and he was struck with jealousy, but why? If Lucy really felt that he had no feelings for her, then why would he have jealousy all over his features? While Lucy was gone off and on throughout the past year, Laxus's actions have steadily been changing. He wouldn't drink any hard liquor when she was expected to come back soon, and would only really drink the day she left.

Gray was slowly coming to the conclusion he dreaded most. It was blatantly obvious why, but what he didn't understand was why it was different. When the thunder dragon slayer was in a short relationship with Cana, he didn't act any different. There seemed to be nothing there, and Laxus acted so coldly to her.

It was like Laxus was trying something different to make this work, but is having a hard time breaking the mold. Gray nodded physically at that, but something told him it was different. His eyes narrowed even more. He was jealous of Gray being in her apartment.

_"Protecting Lucy's secret."_

It was the moment that Lucy stepped into the room that he came upon the answer that Laxus himself probably didn't even fully know. Laxus was in love with the same blond that both Gray and Natsu were after.

"Gray? Are you ready?" Lucy asked in a peppy tone.

The ice mage managed a false smile. It was hard not to be troubled- or even pissed- at the newly uncovered information. "Yeah, let's go."

* * *

Gray was smiling so much tonight. It was like the wide grin was permanently etched across his face. They went to the movies and chose a comedy to see. It wasn't the movie that made him laugh, though. Instead, just hearing her lovely voice laughing was music. A very contagious song that soon resulted in him laughing as well. By the end of the movie, they were in tears from laughing so much and all tense air was gone.

Currently, they were seated outside a small clothing shop in Magnolia. Lucy was having a cutely hard time eating her cotton candy while gray enjoyed his mint chocolate chip ice cream. She would make a groaning noise every time too much came off or when she got it stuck on her face. Another groan came from her, and when Gray looked, he instantly began laughing.

Lucy sat there, battling with the blue fluff and obtaining a light blue mustache and a matching goatee. There were little blue blotches on her cheeks here and there, which only added to it. She looked at him with a scowl and was about to chew his butt for laughing at her when Gray did something incredibly stupid.

The ice mage had completely forgotten about his ice cream and went to wipe his cheek free from the falling tears when the green ice cream wiped across his forehead and his left eye. He pulled his arm back with a sharp gasp and a blush covering his cheeks. He wasn't believing that he actually did something to that caliber.

However, Lucy soon began laughing at him which, in turn, made him laugh as well. The two were clutching at their own stomachs and struggling for air. It was Gray who managed to cease his laughter first.

"Stay here, I'll go get some wet cloths." Gray said as he snickered away.

* * *

Lucy sat outside the same shop while Gray went a little further down to acquire the wet wipes to clean their faces off with. She kept her attention in that general direction and rubbed at her stomach. It was cramping badly from all the laughter of the night. It was like this night was what she needed to get away from everything.

"You look like you're having fun." A familiar voice said. The person was at a safe distance away, but there was something in the voice that made it seem closer.

As she whipped herself around to see, Lucy was picked up and blinded with a silky material. She felt feathers somewhere around her as she was being whisked away. Some distant part of her mind knew who was taking her away from her night of fun, but she was more focused on the panic that followed being kidnapped. Lucy soon began to hyperventilate.

"Calm down, sheesh. It's just-"

Lucy, stricken with panic, forgot all about her magic abilities. All she thought of was her keys that were lying on her night stand in her apartment. Even though she wasn't defenseless, she surely felt that way. A blood curdling shriek soon escaped her throat as her kidnapper took her farther and farther from Gray.

* * *

"Lucy?" Gray said, finally coming out of the shop. He chuckled slightly, wiping his eye with one of the wet wipes. With the white material blocking his vision, he walked to where she was previously, not knowing she was no longer seated on the bench. "You should have seen the look on that waitress's face! She was-"

Lucy's now distant scream of terror stopped him cold. He was frozen solid for a little more than a second before dropping the wipes and sprinting off in the general direction of her scream. "Lucy!"

* * *

Laxus was sitting at the corner of Strawberry street and Main street, awaiting Lucy's return. When Gray finally went home, he'd take his opportunity to talk to her. Though, it seemed to be taking forever. He didn't know how long he waited already, but he didn't want to wait much longer. The thunder mage began walking toward her apartment but was frozen by some unknown force.

There it was. Lucy's thought projection. **_"Laxus! PUT ME DOWN! Laxus, help!"_**

Before the thought could even finish, he was gone in a flash of lightning, following the general direction of the waves caught by his headphones. Lucy was in trouble, and he needed to save her. He wasn't going to show mercy to Gray if he was trying something funny, and whoever was putting her in danger was going to pay. Though he knew that much was true, the only thing on his mind as he raced to save his princess was the sound of distress in her voice.

* * *

_*A/N; Longest chapter yet? I think so. So, I tried something different with this chapter.. I like it too. I just couldn't stop writing. xD This chapter makes me quite happy. I'll try to make more this awesome. Haha~. I have nine started, and from what I started it as- it looks like it would be longer. And better. Possible fight scene- so prepare for possible gore. I haven't decided on a fight yet. xD_

_Anyway! Enough of my babbling. I'd like to say thank you SO MUCH for all the positive feedback and for just being AWESOME. You guys deserve all my hugs. You may have them._


	9. Chapter 9

**Samm; "YAY. IT'S FINALLY HERE."**

**Rufus; "We're making an appearance."**

**Orga; "Heh, yeah. But why am I the kidnapper?"**

**Samm; "Because I wanted to make you the kidnapper."**

**Laxus; "Oi, don't tell me that Orga's the "mystery man".**

**Samm; "Nope~ Rufus is~"**

**Rufus; "I'll remember this."**

**Laxus; "WHAT!"**

**Samm; "Yepp. I wanted to broaden my writing abilities.. So one of the next few chapters will be RuLu!"**

* * *

When Laxus got to the edge of Magnolia, he stopped. The scowl on his face was still present, though it was taking it's sweet time to shift to something more or less like blatant anger. Lucy must have gotten knocked out or she was fighting back, since he hadn't heard word from her in a while. He'd been chasing her frequency for a good ten minutes now, and though he used his lightning as well to speed things up, he didn't get very far in finding her nor in figuring out who her captor was.

His arms crossed on his chest and he let out a huff. Thanks to his super sensitive dragon-like hearing abilities, he heard panting coming from behind him to the left. He had a right of mind to fry whoever it was for chasing him the entire time, but didn't. He would only use his electricity to fry whoever took his fair maiden.

"Laxus. I'll only ask once.." The voice started. Laxus then noticed the scent of frozen sweat mixed with vanilla. He turned in time to see Gray standing there, rearing to freeze him. "Where's Lucy."

Laxus's scowl worsened. The little punk. "If you didn't notice, Arctic Stripper, I don't have her. I was using these," he tapped on his headphones, "to communicate with her up until now. I was chasing down her frequencies. How else would I know they came through here?"

"And why should I believe that! You were the one who made her cry!"

Laxus felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach at being reminded of that. He turned back around, not allowing Gray to witness his inner struggle play off on his face. "I know. I hadn't intended to."

"Then why the hell did you!" Anyone in the proximity could hear Gray's ice magic mingle with the water particles in the air. He was ready to strike Laxus, and for all the latter cared, he would let him.

"I didn't come off correctly, okay?" He smiled through his inner pain. A crying Lucy was any male's worst nightmare. She was simply too gorgeous to cry. "I was carrying her home so she could rest properly before the games. I planned on watching some movies with her.. Until I saw you there."

His words struck a cord in Gray's mind. He couldn't be lying. Laxus looked too carefree only moments before jealousy struck him when he saw Gray in her living room. Lucy was the one who was over exaggerating, and that was pretty common.

"Whoever took her didn't let her see their face. The dumb blondie forgot about her.. Second magic.. And was freaking out about not having a defense since she left her keys behind." Laxus said, sneering slightly.

Gray calmly walked up to stand beside the taller male, his hands firm in his pockets, and his panting calmed. "Sounds like Lucy. By second magic do you mean her Crystal Make?"

Laxus looked at Gray, obviously alarmed. Not by his sudden presence at his side, but rather at his words. The last time he checked, earlier that day, he knew nothing of her new fighting abilities. Yet here he was, guessing away. One thing was for sure; if he was simply guessing, Laxus wouldn't come out and tell him the truth. However, curse his mental dispute, he took too long to respond and Gray continued speaking.

"I'll take that as a yes. I saw earlier, when you guys were training." Something like amusement befell Gray's face. "I saw her trap Freed and kick Bixlow's ass- for the second time, if I might add." Gray looked to the night sky, watching the starts closely. Laxus could only guess that he was remembering the time he had turned Fairy Tail against itself.

"I also saw.." Gray started, turning his head completely away from Laxus. "Her kiss you."

Laxus raised an eyebrow and understood why the ice mage wasn't looking at him. It was common knowledge in the guild that the male members of Team Natsu had large crushes on the celestial wizard, and it was their fault for not making a move.

"But, as long as you don't hurt her.. Whatever makes her happy, will make me happy. She doesn't see me past a brother, anyway." Gray finished the thought he left hanging in the air. Laxus couldn't tell if he said it to convince himself or to pose a small threat to Laxus.

"You bemuse me." Laxus replied smugly, which earned him a glare from the ice-make wizard. "But if I hurt her, in any way, I'll let you have at me. An hour for every tear she sheds."

Gray, appalled, looked at the taller and older mage in question. The offer in itself sounded correct, especially since he knew Lucy would cry over the darnedest of things, but for him to offer it himself meant that he had to have true feelings for the blond woman. Even without her here, she still somehow managed to have a huge presence with the few that actually kept her in mind.

"It's too dark to do anything right now. We'll wait until dawn and we'll use every resource within our grasp to get her back." Laxus then turned to look at Gray. "If you tell Pinky, I'll personally skin you alive. Get her keys."

Just as Laxus was walking off, he saw something so familiar that he dreaded it. In the far off distance, nearly on the horizon, he saw black lightning shoot up to the sky. His blood began boiling to new heats, and swore that Natsu could probably mistake his blood for lava. "Dawn. If you're a second late, I'm leaving your scrawny ass behind."

* * *

Lucy woke up with the sun beaming down on her eyes. The female grumbled and rolled over, pulling the covers over her head as she did so. Escape from the bright rays of the star was vital if she wanted to get more sleep. Though, something in her mind clicked in remembrance when she did so. It felt like deja vu, and a terrible case of it. There were shuffling noises coming from downstairs that made her shoot up like a rocket, and even a faint argument coming from the same area.

However, as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she noticed it wasn't her room at all. It was a completely different room. As she painfully looked out the window, she noticed that they weren't even in Magnolia anymore. Instead of a fishing port, there were only woods on this side of the house. Her eyes narrowed as she yawned, still dreary from having been awoken by the sun and it's morning reign of flashing terror.

A knock at the door brought her back to reality, along with her memories of the previous night. As she looked around the room, she noticed just how quaint it was. Her kidnapper didn't have her locked away in some dungeon or tied up; instead, she was in a cozy king-sized bed at the far left of the room. A dresser was located at the end of the bed, and one window was on the wall next to the window. A writing desk was at the other end of the room, along with several bookshelves and a closet.

"Lucy-sama?" The voice called out. "Have you awoken, yet?"

The voice seemed so familiar, yet she couldn't place where. "Y-Yes! Come on in!" She called out, unsure if she should actually be saying that when residing in someone else's abode.

When the door opened, she couldn't help but let her jaw drop. The two walking in from the open way were none other than Orga Nanagear and Rufus Lohr. When she was being kidnapped last night, it wasn't feathers that she felt but instead it was the fur from Orga's outfit. She had the right of mind to yell and scream at her kidnappers to take her home, but she was silenced by two things. The first being Rufus's open hand, and the other being what was in his occupied hand.

A tray sat perfectly on his hand, which was adorned with a tall glass of orange juice, napkins, and silverware. On the plate- which was obviously on the tray- was three strips of bacon, two sunny-side up eggs, a slice of toast, and an unopened container of jam. Her stomach rumbled at the sight, and she couldn't help but blush and laugh sheepishly.

"It's for you, Lucy-sama." Rufus said as he furthered himself into the room and laid the tray on her lap. "I apologize for Orga's rash actions last night. I asked him to invite you over, not to kidnap you."

Still in the doorway, Orga rubbed the back of his neck and looked away nervously. "I'm sorry. I really wasn't thinking." That was all the apology he could muster.

"Why do you want me here in the first place?" Lucy said, opening the jam to spread on her toast.

"I, for one, wanted to talk to you about a few things. Like a rumor floating around the guild masters that a Fairy Tail wizard has two magics." Rufus completed, causing Lucy to nearly choke on the bite of toast she just took.

"Wh-Where did you hear th-that?" Lucy stumbled over her words, grabbing at her orange juice to take a drink. It was then that a memory played over in her mind from the day before yesterday. The master. How could he have told all the guild masters in such short notice?

"From the master, of course." He stated with a smirk. "Furthermore, we caught wind that it was a celestial wizard. Unless Fairy Tail has new recruits, that narrows it down to one person."

Orga, from the doorway, looked shocked. "Hey, Rufus. We have company."

Rufus looked back to his companion, and that seemed to be all it took. "It's that damned Thunder Dragon Slayer."

* * *

_*A/N; Glerrrh. I'm in the process of moving right now, so updates might be scarce.. But I'll try to make it appoint to update at least once a week. LEAST. Hopefully I can do more than that._

_Yes! Mystery man is finally unveiled! Rufus! I really wanted to try a fanfic with him, but I didn't know who to pair him with nor what to write it on.. So this will be like a little RuLu one-shot in the middle of the story. xD I'M SORRY. I HAD TO._

_On another note, unless Rufus gets a BUTT-TON of votes, which I'm highly doubting, who Lucy ends up with is decided! Good thing, right? Well, the votes for this character broke 150 while the others were at like.. 90-something and 70ish. c: If you guess who it is, I might tell you~ BUT. THAT'S ALL THE UPDATES I HAVE FOR YOU. DON'T SHOOT ME. See you next time~_

_**EDIT:**__ But, no, seriously guys. I love you all. So much support and love from you all.. Makes my so happy I could explode._


	10. Chapter 10

**Samm; "Guess what~ Chapter TEN, BABY~"**

**Rufus; "It appears my memories are backfiring on me.."**

**Orga; "HAH. Did you see the look on his face?"**

**Laxus; "I. Will. Destroy. You."**

**Samm; "Okay, Okay, chill guys.."**

* * *

Lucy wasn't exactly sure how long they were gone but when they returned, her breakfast was well into her stomach. Rufus entered the room with a bright smile and bowed politely to the celestial spirit wizard. This action made Lucy want to roll her eyes and pop off at him with an attitude. However, she held her composure.

"It was merely a false alarm, milady." Rufus said, a smirk adorning his face.

Heat rose to her cheeks, though she attempted to will it down. Where did 'milady' come from? Shaking her head gently, she looked up to him and looked him over. He didn't seem to have scratches of any form on him, which led her to believe that it was truly a false alarm. This disheartened her, since she was excited that the big lug might have come to her rescue.

"You're quite adorable when you blush, Lucy-sama."

Once again, he snapped her back to reality and caused her blush to worsen. Clearing her throat, she looked down at her lap where her hands were neatly folded. "You never finished stating the reason for me being here."

"Ah, yes, the rumor." Rufus strode over to the lass in elegant steps. "I suppose it couldn't be you. Otherwise you would have easily avoided Orga's capturing." He placed his finger on his chin thoughtfully as his gaze swept over you. "Though, something has changed about you."

Lucy's head snapped up instantaneously. "Maybe I'm just too kind to hurt anyone seriously." The words rushed out of her mouth faster than she could process. While on the inside, she was screaming at herself about how she actually forgot about it, her face remained determined.

Rufus arched a perfect brow at her statement. "So you're telling me that you're too kind hearted to do something like fight back when someone could possibly be endangering you." He stated. Lucy gulped and nodded, knowing what came next was going to expose her secret to the entire world.

Instead of letting him have the next word, she placed her right fist in the palm of her left hand. The magic circle appeared as a light pink color, and with little effort, she sculpted a pink crystallized Sabertooth figurine. It was the same way Gray introduced his magic to her.

Rufus's eyes widened greatly, and his mouth almost hung agape. Almost. His hands went forward and grabbed the figurine gently, caressing it as though it were a newborn baby and easily broken. Even though a small smile was on his lips, his brows furrowed in thought.

"Lucy-sama.." He started. His words trailed off as his thumb traced over the smooth surface of the figure.

"You can keep it." Lucy stated with a small smile, mirroring his. "Just.. I ask that you don't tell anyone.."

"Of course." He finished, holding the figurine like it was a lifeline. "I have to tell you something that's bothering me, though.."

It was Lucy's turn to raise an eyebrow. The male was almost never informal, and for a moment there, he seemed as though he wanted to break that formality barrier.

"I-I.." Rufus stuttered, appalling Lucy even further. "From the first time I heard of you, it was about nine years ago. I had already started learning magic, and I set a goal. My goal was to meet you one day and defeat you.." He paused, creasing his brow further as he averted his gaze to the ground. "When I heard of your disappearance, I thought for sure you were dead."

"Why me?" Lucy asked, her hands folded neatly in her lap once more. She was struggling to keep a calm facade, since she was thrown back at the random confession.

"I admired you. You gave up everything for Fairy Tail. I thought that was strength in itself, and I wanted that strength." Taking a deep breath, he continued once he shut his eyes. "When I heard you returned looking the same as you did beforehand, I was over joyed. I could finally challenge you. However, one look at you made me remember something I buried long ago.."

A light blush dusted his cheeks. "I had a crush on you growing up and training. It was nothing more than that- a crush outside of my grasp."

Lucy's face lit up a brighter red than before. She had a funny feeling that she knew where this was going..

"Looking at you resurfaced those memories I tried so hard to delete. But they were back and stronger. I was now your age. I memorized everything I could about you that day. The way you walked, the movement of the magic in your body, your melodious laughter, your smile.. I memorized it all, and it haunts me. I wanted at least one meeting with you personally, and this rumor gave me a reason."

He finally looked up to see Lucy blushing like a mad woman. Her right hand was covering her mouth and her left was on her chest.

"That's not my curiosity point anymore. I'm wondering why I can't memorize this new magic of yours." He concluded.

Lucy knew exactly why, too. But, after that, did she really want to tell him? A smile made itself present on her face as she looked over Rufus. As much of a gentleman he could possibly be, there was someone already grabbing at her heart. "Well..."

* * *

"Ice Make: Lance!" Gray shouted, lunging forward to the barrier at the edge of the forest. Nothing seemed to work in penetrating it, though. He let out an aggravated groan before punching the invisible force field. "Lucy.. I hope you're all right."

A blinding light erupted from the barrier and Laxus was thrown into him. Somehow, moments before, Laxus had managed to get in by simply running through like the brute he is. Gray landed on his back with a cry of pain as the heavy dragon slayer landed on him. His weight didn't hold the ice mage back for long, though, as he stood up in a flash. Literally.

When Gray's eyes opened, he saw the black lightning headed straight for him, and just barely had the time to move out of the way. Standing in his pants and shoes, gray readied himself for the attacker. Seconds later, Orga strolled easily out of said barrier with his gaze heavily fixated on Laxus.

"What did you do with Lucy!" Laxus shouted. His rage got the better of him and he instantly fired his roar at the god-slayer.

The god-slayer simply took the hit. It hurt, yes, but it didn't cause too much damage. Instead, Orga formulated a plan to get a rise out of the two mages before him. A smirk crossed his face as he thought over his words carefully.

Gray didn't like the look on the man's face. His eyes narrowed as he concentrated his magic even further, getting prepared for anything.

"Lucy-sama?" Orga said in a proper demeanor. "You mean Rufus-sama's fiance?"

Rage consumed the two mages faster than anyone could blink. Though Gray was barely able to control himself, it didn't seem like Laxus could. Consumed by an all out rage, Laxus had already blacked out and was fighting on emotions alone.

* * *

"Where the hell is she?!" Natsu yelled as he stormed into the guild. Everyone went silent at his sudden outburst, and everyone looked around curiously. Sure, they all knew who he was talking about, but it didn't look like anyone knew where she was. Instead of waiting for someone to speak up, the hot headed dragon slayer stomped his way over to the bar and slammed his fist down.

"Cana! You were with her last, right?!" He shouted.

The accused female snarled from behind her barrel and narrowed her eyes at him. She put the massive alcohol container down before looking at the pinkette with a look that could kill. "No, for your information, I wasn't. And even if I was, I wouldn't tell you- of all people- where she was."

After Lucy had told Cana about what happened between her and Natsu when she got back, Cana had little to no feelings of anything save for anger toward him. To say she was pissed at him was an understatement.

"What do you mean you wouldn't tell me anyway!" He shouted back.

"Exactly what I said, you shit-for-brains!"

Freed and Bixlow were behind Natsu within the next few moments. Each had a hand on his shoulder. The wink that the vizored male sent the female drunkard was almost unseen. Almost. Freed cleared his throat, causing Natsu to look at him and narrow his eyes.

"What." Natsu growled out the word at the green haired man.

"The Raijinshu and Laxus-sama were the last ones with Lucy-sama. We had dinner with her." Freed stated simply.

"Yeah. Laxus and Gray are taking Cosplay Queen out for some training." Bixlow finished the cover story. They were the only one that Laxus trusted the secret with,since he knew Natsu would flip a lid once he knew Lucy was taken.

"Why didn't she ask me?" Natsu said sadly, almost in a whisper. Cana snorted at this.

"You're really asking that after you treated her like yesterday's trash?" She stated, pulling the barrel up once more to drown everyone out.

The pinkette's face went from sad to depressed in less than a second. His gaze was redirected to the ground and he walked off to his usual seat, where he slumped down and kept his face on the table.

Once he was gone, Cana sat the now empty barrel away from her and raised an eyebrow at the two members of the Raijinshu who had stopped a possible fight between the two. Freed shook his head at the lass while Bixlow couldn't bring himself to not tell her. He settled on mouthing "I'll tell you later." to her. She nodded and looked to the doors of the guild almost expecting the blond to come through any minute.

* * *

_*A/N; OH HEY GUYS. GUESS WHAT. Real life sucks. Jobs take away your little time from the internet. _

_SO. With my little hiatus out of the way, I'm proud to say that I'm back and ready to kick it back in gear~ I hope you're ready to read more. I'm finally settled in at my new house with internet and everything. c: It's great. So now, I just have to actually write._

_Enough of my babbling. The story is about a chapter away from being half done. c:_


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